A Dream Come True

by
June Kelly for Build A Dream (2014)

I began the project by cutting the box lid into four sections. I then sanded and painted the walls and floors for each room. Since a studio needs plenty of light, I cut a window in one section. I used the styrofoam rod to carve the figures for each scene, except the sleeping figure's head, which is made from Van Gogh's ear lobe with a wooden nose glued on. The extended limbs were made by inserting wire into the figure and covering them with the cornstarch peanuts. I cut the square wooden dowels in half lengthwise and use these pieces to frame the window, make desk legs, easel, and the paintbrush. The ladder is also made from a cut dowel with hammered aluminum wire pieces attached for the rungs. Small pieces were cut from the tempered hardboard for the desk tops and the remainder of the board was cut in two to provide support for the finished project. Strings were removed from the canvas cloth and used as threadĚ for sewing the curtains and painted for the ladies' hair. The plaster cloth wrap was draped over a styrofoam block which was removed once the bed was set, and wrapped around a rectangle of wire mesh to form the desk chairs. In addition, the plaster was soaked out to make the fabric for the studio sheers. I saw a chair in the sea sponge, but once it was cut, the holes in the sponge were too obvious, so I covered it with modeling clay and painted it. The canvas was removed from the canvas board to make the bedroom curtains and comforter. The remaining cardboard from the box was used to make the desk sides and chalkboards. The baseboards, calendars, posters, and dream picture were made using the card stock. The artist canvas is painted canvas cloth and Van Gogh's ear was used for the dream cloud. I used the aluminum wire to form the curtain rod, and legs of desk chairs. The chair rollers are painted modeling clay. Finally, the sections were hot glued together to tell the dreamer's story.

I chose to tell a story in frames, like a cartoon. In the beginning, a plump, frazzled woman of a certain age is discouraged and disgusted with her job and life in general. At home in her bed, she dreams of turning her love of art, and all things creative, into a viable career. Determined to change her life, she climbs out of her rut and finally, in her artist's studio, her dream is realized. (And since it's a dream come true, she's several pounds thinner!)